Final Fantasy XIII: Fabula Crystal Sorrow
by Chazz 'Selrahc
Summary: You always said the thirteen days after you awoke were the beginning of the end. I always wanted to ask you, the end of what? Because I think it was the start of something grand...


"_You always said the thirteen days after you awoke._"

The sky was pretty over the Hanging Edge. The bright, seemingly pure white, sun peeked out from a hole in the clouds. It's, seemingly, celestial rays fell down over the tall cliffs and infinite, abyss like, valleys bellow. Surrounding this hole in the clouds was a slowly circling layer of dark clouds.

It's cliffs and valleys filling one's eyes with wonder as they rose high into the sky, and dipped down into a fog ridden abyss. The valleys seemed oddly flat and lacking of blemishes.

"_Were the beginning of the end._"

And diving between these cliffs was a long train track. It was almost dainty in how small it looked nestled amongst these, amazing, vast cliffs and valleys.

On the tracks a rust colored blur rocketed down the tracks, and into the fogy abyss bellow.

"_But I think._"

Sitting side by side, fidgeting in fear, were humans. Men, women and children. They're heads were bowed, or they looked about nervously.

Their bodies were covered in a robe. The robe was white with blue veins running down the arms. Black shoulder pads and a raised half circle atop their heads with pulsating blue circles. With the hoods pulled low the black, shiny, leather attachment that ran over each humans forehead had three glowing, blue, diamonds.

"_It was the start of something grand…_"

The train hit a bump and the passengers cringed, a few of the younger children cried out in panic. Everyone else responded by whispering amongst themselves and trying to be supportive, but the stench of fear clung heavily to their bodies.

However two people sat laid back in their seats. One with his shoulders squared in a becoming, knightly, manner, his posture spoke of courage and power.

The other leaned backwards heavily, his rear resting on the edge of his seat. His shoulders slumped down and his hands were lazily laid out in his lap. He looked more like a vagabond, or perhaps a powerful criminal, then anything else.

The two shifted in their seats slightly as the train started heading downwards, towards the Hanging Edge. The vagabond snickered a little bit as the passengers cringed and shouted, while his silent companion moved his head imperceptibly towards him.

"Grace." The silent one said. "Hush." The silent one's voice was soft, but had an air of command, and authority, about it.

"Geeze Hope." Grace tilted his head up, revealing a beautiful, though beard stubled, chin and thin lipped mouth. "Your always being so mean to me." Grace's voice was similar to Hope's, though it had a mysterious darkness about it, and a decidedly seductive tenor.

Hope tilted his head slightly to look at Grace. The lightest frown tugged at his thin lips, revealing white teeth with the slightest tea stain. His chin was strong, his jaw defined and clean shaven to a soft, smooth, finish.

Hope seemed about to say something when the door opened, bringing his attention to that direction.

A PSICOM soldier strolled casually into the room. His helmet's glowing yellow eyes lazily looking over the room. The helmet fit his head snuggly, the gasmask in front firmly hooked up and matching the dull, grey, metal color of his armor.

A PSICOM soldier's armor is sturdy, yet thin. Pulsing yellow veins run across it, giving them a ghost like appearance. On his left arm was a round shield, able to withstand high caliber gun rounds, like the ones his laser light enabled rifle would fire.

But again the most striking feature was his helmet. Those glowing yellow eyes that most Cocoon citizen saw a sign of strength struck those on this train like the eyes of a hungry demon.

As the soldier walked forward one could feel the atmosphere plunge and become graven. A few of the smaller children started to cry and lean on their parents, who tried in vain to shush them and comfort them.

The soldier looked at one of the children; his gaze had an orange tint to it. As he looked at the boy his visor brought up the Childs name, age, weight, hometown and plethora of other information about the boy. The soldier didn't look long, seeing the child was autistic and not a threat, and walked on.

His laser light carelessly bobbed up and down as he walked forwards. He raised his gun a few times, pointing it intimidatingly at a few people who looked brave or suspicious.

"I don't want to wait anymore brother." Grace whines.

"Another minute Grace." Hope says softly. "We will be hitting the shield shortly."

As the train descended into the Hanging edge a ring was being quickly positioned ahead of it. It was in three parts, being connected inside the entrance to the old Cocoon city. A flurry of men in blue uniform surrounded the ring, supported by floating platforms.

They were moving quickly around the rings like a horde of angry bees. The sound of wrenches and torches, sizzle of electronics and cursing of men, filled the tunnel.

"What's our status?"

Standing on a floating platform, amongst the regular soldiers, was a tall man standing at six foot six. His straight black hair fell around his head in a handsome way.

"Cid it's almost ready." A soldier, frantically welding a plate into place over a wire filled conduit, says to the tall man.

"Good." Cid's grey eyes watch the train quickly approach, a luxurious white glove comes to rest at his chin. "Then it would seem we're just in time."

With a flourish of his white cape Cid turns to his men. Briefly he locks eyes with a few of them, commanding officers under his command, and nods.

"Turn on the shield; we have no time to waste." Cid shouts, casting one last glance at the train over his shoulders. "Not with this Fal'Cie instituted genocide…"

On the train the brothers can hear the distant, ever so silent, sound of a shield being engaged. Grace smiles and lowers his head, the robe's hood covering his eyes and leaving a malicious smirk visible to the world to see.

Hope does nothing. His shoulders straighten imperceptibly. His jaw slackens and his robes hood falls a little further into his eyes, giving his serious facial expression an almost mystical, mage like, air to it.

"Five." Grace says, leaning as far back as possible.

"Four" The soldier is strolling their way.

"Three" Looking lazily from person to person.

"Two." A rather careless gesture, especially for a soldier.

"One." A shame really, if he was more diligent maybe things would have turned out differently.

The train jolts as it breaks through the shield. Passengers scream and duck, a few were thrown out onto the floor, as the train jerks violently.

"Hell!" The soldier exclaims as he stumbles forwards, almost tripping and falling into the floor.

While everyone else stumbles or ducks Hope bolts from his seat straight at the soldier.

The soldier catches him from the corner of his eye. The visor quickly locks onto him, and soldier almost freezes as the information runs through his visor. But just almost, he raises up his rifle to kill Hope, but he was to slow.

Hope leaps into the air, his knee wrapping around the soldiers head and snapping it to the side. With a loud crunch the man's neck snaps, a few bullets are fired as his finger spasms on the trigger. His body falls as Hope lands on the deck. A small, blue, control unit falls to the ground. Which Hope crushes under a booted foot.

"'Bout time bro." Grace says as he stands up slowly, an almost inaudible sizzle emanating from his hand cuffs.

The civilians gasp as their hands are suddenly free. Several of them hop to their feet and look down at their hands in amazement.

Amazement which turns to frightened shrieks as two more PSICOM soldiers run into the cart.

"Hands up!" the lead shouts as he runs into the room.

"Freeze!" The second orders as they raise their guns and fire.

Hope was fast; as the bullets are fired he jumps over the golden lead stream. As his body flips through the air the hem of his robe is frayed by the gun fire. Hope landed between the two and kicked the rifle out of the leads hands.

The man grunts as his the gun is forced from his hand and into the air, where it spins slowly, lazily, upwards.

"To slow." Hope whispers.

Hope's left hand moves at an almost lightning speed and grabs the rifle out of the air. As his arm extends upwards Hope's foot moves forwards. The boot limb hits the soldier firmly in the chest, sending the man stumbling back into his ally.

"Forgive me."

Hope's finger pulls the trigger twice. The first bullet impacts the lead in the heart, slipping past his armor and delivering an almost instantly fatal blow. The other bursts through the soldiers yellow eye. His head jerks back and body slumps down to the ground.

"Hey!"Hope's head jerks up as the voice of a third soldier rings through the air.

The man's gun was raised, the laser light resting on Hope's chin, as he ran into the room. The man's finger slowly pulls back on the trigger, about to fire, and then… he jerks backwards. Hope barely saw the flash of silver that flew by his head as Grace threw his hidden knife. But he did see the soldiers head jerk violently to the side as the white blade burst through his yellow eye, and skull. With a soft gasping, gurgling, like sound he fell to the ground, gun hitting the ground beside him with a thud.

"Geez bro." Grace smirked as he tosses a knife into the air, easily catching it between forefinger and thumb. "Ya need to be more careful, what would I tell dad if you died?"

"That it was your fault for being slow." Hope said seriously, turning his head towards his brother. "We're splitting up; you clear that end of the train. I'll work my way up to the front." Hope ejected the clip of one of the soldier's guns and shoved a fresh one in.

"Gotcha bro." Grace grinned and the pair took off in opposite directions.

Hope came into the next cart. It was a normal passenger cart, with the seats the soldiers must have occupied. The seats had a comfortable looking blue padding with form fitting backs. It was ironic that the soldiers be more pampered then the citizens they were sworn to protect.

"Freeze!" A frightened soldier shouted as he ran out from behind one of the seats, squeezing the trigger of his machine gun.

But Hope moved faster than the man could aim, yellow streaks passing mere centimeters around him, and swung a deadly upper cut as he came up on the man. With a yelp the body fell backwards, and as it fell the door opened and another soldier ran in.

Without a moment's hesitation Hope raised his gun and fired several rounds with incredible accuracy. His slugs hit the man's throat in a tight cluster; the body jerked and hit the floor with a loud clack, his shield bouncing once before settling down.

Hope stood up, looking around with his hooded head. The robe still clung to his body, the blue veins pulsing softly as he bent down and picked up a second rifle.

Then he moves forward, through the corridor and the door to the next train. The door slid open to reveal a long cart. It was one of the train's weapon storage centers, and as such probably heavily guarded.

"There he is!" A soldier yells, standing on the opposite side of the train from Hope.

Hope slid forwards firing both guns quickly forwards. The soldier jerked back and fell to the floor as the rounds pierced his armor, and body.

As Hope slid soldiers standing on the sides of the room opened fire. But Hope was fast, he slid across the train in an instant, then, like a coiled spring, Hope launched himself off the wall and into the air. Doing a quick aerial spin Hope fired the guns into the PSICOM troops. The bullets hit with an unnerving accuracy, killing almost everyone in the cart.

Save one soldier he rolled out of the way. This man wielded a sword and charged Hope with a battle cry.

"Sorry." Hope used one rifle to deflect the blade, smashing it's barrel into the blades flat. Then with a thrust he impaled the soldier with the other, the guns barrel sticking sickly out of the man's back.

The soldier coughed, dropping his blade, and reached for the gun as though to pull it out. But after a moment his body went limp, hands sliding off the gun weakly. He coughed once more and was still.

Hope let the body collapse; gun still impaled through him, and ran into the next cart. As he entered he hesitated a moment as he heard the death cry's of men. Then he ran forwards again, leery of whatever might be ahead.

As the door slid open Hope saw a lithe woman spinning effortlessly through the air, covered by a blue field of energy. She was standing on the ceiling for a moment, opening fire with twin rifles. The soldier she was aiming at died before he could make a sound

The woman landed and, upon seeing Hope, turns the twin rifles on him. Which gives Hope a good look at her.

She's a fit women, probably in her early twenties or late teens. Her hair is long and had an odd light pink color to it. It fell in her eyes on the right side of her face in what Hope would call a spiky way. However her long hair was draped over her left shoulder, and the metal pauldron that covered it.

Hope recognized a modified Guardian Corps uniform. She wore a sleeveless overcoat over a brown turtleneck shirt. Her pauldron, a green metallic color, had the twin yellow stripes signifying her rank as sergeant. Though the red cape which came from the pauldron was not standardized.

On her arms she wore a pair of fingerless blue gloves, the knuckles having a metal piece for fist fighting. On her left arm was a long black sleeve while on her right arm two black bands ran along her bicep.

And oddly enough Hope managed to notice a silver naval piercing. Something that was frowned upon in the Guardian Corps were tattoos and piercings, she must really be something to get away with it.

She wore a brown skirt and knee high leather boots, metal guard attached to defend the shin. A red pouch was slung across her left side, it's straps running across that thigh and Hope thought he could see a gunblade sheath on the small of her back.

"I'm not the enemy." Hope raised his hands in surrender.

"Hmph." The woman tossed the rifles aside, apparently deciding he wasn't' a threat, and quickly looked in the weapon locker.

Hope did the same, opening a locker and quickly rummaging through its contents. With speed and precision Hope shifted through the varying equipment, seeming to be intently searching for something... He almost closed it with a frown, when he saw a familiar shape.

"This yours?" Hope pulled out the Guardian Corps premiere gunblade, the Blazefire Saber.

The blazefire saber was in gun mode. It's grip was black with a dark red trigger. The trigger was at an angle and led to a rectangle shape. The weapon would extend and flip out to reveal a blade.

It was the weapon the Guardian Corp's elite used. Less than three thousand were currently issued, only warriors of the highest caliber were permitted to carry it.

The woman looked at Hope with narrowed eyes. All she could see was from the edge of his nose to his chin.

His skin was a pleasantly pale color. And his lips were thin with an air of mystery about them, which was heightened by his strong chin.

"Hmph." Was all she said as she took the weapon from Hope's grasp.

"Hey." Lightning frowned as a man's voice reached her ears. "They all want to fight."

"Good for them." The woman said, uncaringly.

The man was black, middle aged. He had a black afro, which a chocobo chick was poking it's head out of.

He wore a long olive green coat and khaki trousers. A white buttoned-down shirt and black, buckled, engineer boots. The white shirt was open slightly, revealing a fairly muscled chest. And two pistols were holstered on his thighs. And three RPG's on his back.

The man's presence inspired a sense of safety and fatherly wisdom that Hope would have to lie if he were to say wasn't comforting.

"Yo bro!" Lightning looked over her shoulder as Grace strolled into the room. "We killed the last of 'em, the trains under our control now…"

Grace had discarded the robe revealing his wild, spiky, hair. It fell in his beautiful face in an odd, admittedly ruggedly attractive, way.

Grace's face was built powerful, with a strong jaw, thing lips and a handsome curve to his cheeks. White lines ran around his closed left eye, descending down the side of his face and into his shirt in an almost mechanical pattern. His right eye was a sharp green, seeming to pierce into anything it looked at.

He wore a pair of forest green pants that were tucked into his steel plated boots. An orange shirt, which had tears all along it, covered his upper body and came down to his elbows. Grace's hands were protected by sturdy black gloves, his left arm being wrapped in black cloth.

"Wow." Grace's eye looked the woman up and down briefly. "Now I wish I had gone this way…"

She growled so low even Hope, who was standing next to her, could barely hear and pushed past him towards the door. Hope sighed softly and followed, leaning out the window behind her.

The green light of the Hanging edge came into view as the train rushed out from the tunnel and into the immense cavern. Everywhere you looked there were floating buildings, suspended in the air by AMP technology, and train tracks and highways running into the distance, further then the eye could see.

The Hanging Edge. It was once a sprawling metropolis, but was abandoned after the war of transgression. Since then it has been restricted for anyone to go here, in case of contamination from Pulse.

But as a Cocoon fighter, a silver ship with a V shape to it, exploded overhead what was once a peaceful, deserted, city was now a raging war zone. Gunfire laced the skies as fighters launched quick, deadly attacks on everything in sight, destroying several trains and building as they moved at incredible speed.

"It's a warzone." Hope muttered softly.

The woman glanced back at Hope briefly, and then looked back out at the Hanging Edge, stopping when she saw a fighter heading their way.

"Give me one of those." She held out a hand, waiting for one of the RPG's.

"Alright." Hope reached and pulled the weapon off the black man's back.

"Hey! Be gentle." He remarked as the weapon was pulled free of his body, strap breaking as it was jerked from him.

"Don't worry 'bout that mister…" Grace said, but stopped when he realized he didn't know the man's name.

"Sazh, Sazh Katzroy." The black man said, shaking Grace's hand. "And who are you boys?"

"I'm Grace, and he's my twin Hope." Grace grinned; it was a rather deranged look on his face.

"Heh, let's hope ya'll live up to your names." Sazh said, wincing when he realized the pun.

"Idiots." The woman mutters as she starts to lean out the door, and stops when Hope grabs her arm. She turns to look at him, a deadly glare in place.

"You can get a better shot if you lean out more." Hope says, bracing his legs against the door so he can hold her weight.

The woman nods and with Hope holding her hand, at the wrist, she leans out and looks through the weapons scope. The blue scope quickly turns orange as it locks and fires it's ordinance.

The round curves through the air, passing within inches of the trains armored shell, and up towards the targeted fighter. The maneuverable craft pulls up, easily rising up into the sky. But the rpg's explosive round is just as capable.

The woman watched it soar up after the fighter through the scope. The round impacted the fighter just behind the cockpit, blowing a hole in its engines. The aircraft spins, slowly, through the air a few moments before exploding violently, showering the train track bellow with debris.

The woman is about to come back inside when a winged beast bursts through the debris cloud. It's long, silver, wings flap as a ball of energy forms in front of its head.

"Give me the other one!" Hope shouts as the woman tosses the used RPG overboard, the weapon hitting the track and bouncing off into the abyss bellow.

"Alright!" Sazh shouts as he pulls the second RPG off his back as fast as he possibly can, almost dropping it several times in the process. In the end Hope just pulls the launcher out of Sazh's hands and shoves into the waiting arms of the pink haired woman.

As she takes the RPG Hope lets his hand slip down her wrist and grasp her hand firmly, letting her lean out a few extra centimeters. Which was just enough for the woman to get a sight lock on the flying beast. Her finger squeezes the trigger almost a second before the lock is established. The round burst from the end of the RPG and for a second spins through the air, the woman wondering if it's a dud, then bursts forwards with incredible speed.

The beast moves up swiftly, but the lock was good. The rocket impacts it in the chest bringing the immense winged creature slamming down unto the train tracks… but it wasn't dead. As it fell it released the energy bolt, which arced across the tracks like a lightning bolt, arcing from point to point at the train.

"Get down." The woman commands as Hope pulls her inside.

The woman tackles Hope to the ground as he pulls her in. She lands on top and shields his body with her own as the energy bolt hit's the train.

The train jerks violently as the energy bolt hits. The rear is ripped upwards, and thrown from the train tracks. It hit's an AMP ring, that keeps the train tracks floating, and smashes through it. The sturdy, metal, train cart snapped in half, throwing screaming passengers and debris alike into the air before plummeting towards Lake Bresha bellow…

"That was close…" Grace groans from where he was slumped against a wall.

"Hmph." The woman was already on her feet, giving anyone that gave her a look a glare in return.

Hope doesn't say anything as he stands. Instead he frowns at Grace; the brothers exchange a quick look before bracing themselves against the walls.

A moment later the train jerks again as something massive crashes into the roof. A Manasvin Warmech had just landed on the train. The weight causing the train to slowly come to a stop.

The Warmech's body was like an immense, white, mechanical scorpion. With a long metal tail that twisted into the air, and claws with a set of three buzz saws at the end.

"Crap!" Grace shouts. "It sounds like a warmech…" Grace's sharp ears can hear its tail swinging into the air.

The brothers exchange another look. Hope's chin imperceptibly moves towards the wall and Grace blinks his one open eye. Grace pressed his back against the out wall, while Hope quickly turns towards the woman.

"Look out." Hope grabbed the woman and forced her away from the wall, just as the tail slammed into the side of the train.

The white tail sliced through the wall with ease. Sending pieces of debris flying everywhere inside the cabin, passengers shriek in fear as the warmech's tail pulls out and the machine peers in at its prey.

The beast moves away, a few sighs of relief fill the cabin for the peaceful moment. Then the roof bursts downwards as the white tail crashes down through it, killing most of the passengers in the debris storm that falls from above.

"Gah!" Hope's head jerks up as he hears Grace's anguished cry.

Grace was sitting down, back pressed against one of the walls. A steel beam pierced through his stomach, a second sticking out of his chest.

"Grace!" Hope pushed himself away from the woman and runs hastily towards his fallen brother.

The woman stood slowly, watching Hope kneel next to his brother. Her face was stone cold and emotionless as she walked up behind Hope, now words escaped her mouth as her teeth pressed together forcefully.

"Damn." Grace smirks as his hand wraps around one of the thin beams. "Guess I'm not going to be able to help ya save mum." Grace leans his head back, eyes looking tiredly up through the roof.

"Your not dead yet." Hope's voice shakes, it's soft strong cadence almost breaks into a throaty cry of loss.

"Don't kid yourself." Grace remarks, pulling a dagger from its sheath and holding it out to Hope. "Just go." Grace gives a weak grin and a wink at Hope as his brother takes the weapon. "We'll meet again…"

Everything is silent as Grace's arm falls limply to the ground and his head rolls backward, banging dully into the wall.

Sazh was staring down horrified at the sight. A part of him wanted to turn away and vomit, but for some reason he was rooted to the spot, unable to do anything but watch as Hope lost his brother.

The woman didn't quite have this problem. She stared at the sight a moment before growling and looking up through the hole. A barely restrained rage was pulsing through her lithe body as something akin to hurt, or perhaps fear, flashed through her eyes.

"I'll kill it." She growled before leaping atop a seat, and then up to the top of the train.

"Hey!" Sazh shouted after her. "Shouldn't we run!"

"She is running." Hope leapt atop a seat and gave a quick glance to Sazh. "Towards it." And then followed the women.

"But that's not what I meant!" Sazh cast the body one last glance, he wanted to throw up, and then followed the pair to the roof.

The woman landed lithely on the roof. A sneer spread across her face as she pulled her gunblade from its sheath. With a flick of the wrist the weapons blade folded out as she settled into a combat ready position, glaring death at the warmech.

The warmech responded by propelling itself into the air. It spread it's claws and poised its tail under it in a challenge. Hope walked up beside the woman as the warmech slammed into the ground.

"Whoa-oh-oh." Sazh said, stepping back away from the warmech as it landed. "Hey-Hey-Hey let's be rational now." As the warmech landed and the train shook he tripped and fell on his rear, leaving him to scoot away from the warmech. "Oh! Whoa!" The black man leapt back as the warmech swung it's claw at them.

Hope took the merest step back, the claw missing him by centimeters, while the woman easily leapt backwards to safety.

"Oh." Sazh panted as he stood up. "Man, there sending in the big guns now. What do we do?"

"Watch and learn." The woman responded.

The warmech made its own response. Raising up a claw a bolt of electricity passed between the saw blades as they came to life. Spinning at such speed the teeth became a singular spinning disk.

The claw then shot forwards at the woman. She didn't miss a step. She flipped backwards, easily avoiding the saw ridden claws and landing lithely like a cat.

No sooner did her feet touch the ground then she charged forwards. The warmech swung it's spinning claws at her again, but she was to agile. Without missing a beat the woman flipped over the spinning disks, blades moving within inches of her face as she went over it.

She landed gracefully again and dug her blade into the warmechs white faceplate. Sparks flew as the blade tore a thin gouge into the machines hide.

The warmechs immediate response was to stab its tail down at her. But again, she was too fast. She hopped backwards and swung her blade into the machines tail. The sword didn't cut through, but it did injure the machine.

With a mechanical cry the machine a claw at the women. And just like a routine she leapt back, into the path of the other claw. She would have been cut to shreds had Hope not rammed the claw with his shoulder, jerking it just far enough to the side for it to pass within centimeters of the woman's bust.

As the claw passed she leapt back, landing in front of Sazh.

"you alright." Hope said as he leapt back, landing next to the woman.

She shot him a death glare before going at the warmech again. This time with covering fire from Sazh.

Sazh's gunshots echoed through the not so still air, the projectiles bounced harmlessly off of white armor.

The rounds impacted the warmechs armor and crushed into pancake like disks before bouncing away. At best the shell would glance off the curved face plate of be cut to ribbons by the twirling blades of its claw.

As ineffectual as this was it gave the woman a chance to close in on the machine. Ducking past the tail the woman pulled her blade back, and thrust. The sharp tip of the weapon pierced though one of the of the warmechs electronic eyes. The lens gave way, bursting inwards, as the incredibly sharp tip of the woman's blade burst through its bullet resistant covering.

She jumped away from the warmech as it made a shrieking like sound. She landed easily next to Sazh and Hope, casting a glance at a frowning Hope.

He seemed to be analyzing the warmech through his lowered hood. It almost looked like he knew something about the machine, but that was impossible. The warmechs designs were classified PSICOM schematics; he was probably comparing it to the scorpions they were based on.

The woman's head snapped back to the warmech as its jets propelled it backwards. The machine stayed airborne a moment before crashing down behind the train.

"Move!" The woman shouts.

The trio easily hops to the next cart. Sazh and the woman turning around to face it as Hope kept running.

"Ha." Sazh grins at the warmech. "Not so tough now are you?"

The warmech responded to Sazh's taunt by sinking it's claws into either side of the train cart. The thrusters that lined it's thin arms activated, deadly, bright, blue flames shot up into the air behind it. The train making a slow crunching sound as incredible force was applied to its rear.

"Hey, that wasn't like a challenge now." Sazh raises his pistol wielding hands in surrender, while the woman turns around and runs. "Hey…"

The rear train cart starts to rise into the air as the warmechs thrusters increase in intensity. The woman spares the machine one last glance as she easily catches up with Hope.

"Uh oh, time to go!" And with that Sazh is running after the woman and Hope.

The woman agily slid down the top of the train before grabbing the side rail. In a display of incredible grace she hopped unto the rail and slid down it, to the next cart.

Hope, meanwhile, slid feet first down the train, using an elbow to keep his upper body from hitting the train. The fabric frayed as he descended towards the bottom of the now rising train car, then shoved himself into the air with his free hand.

Hope and woman landed in unison. Their booted feet making a singular sound as they touched ground in an eerily matching crouch. The pair turned to look up at Sazh with the same unison as they had landed.

"Hey hold on down there!" Sazh stumbled down the train rather clumsily as it became rather vertical. "I'm coming!" Hope and the woman could see the train cart being pulled out from under him, the pair shot eachother a glance before looking back up to Sazh.

"Jump." The woman yelled as the warmech violently tore the train carts away.

"Yaah!" Sazh shouted as he followed the woman's orders and leapt into the air.

His arms flailed wildly, guns clutched firmly in hand, legs still running, as he seemed to slowly move through the air towards the train. But something was wrong…

"He's not going to make it…" Sazh's jump was short. The man hit the edge of the train and bounced backwards.

"Oh!" Sazh shouted as he was certain he would fall to his death, until a strong hand wrapped around his wrist.

"I've got you." Sazh looked up into his saviors face.

"Maker…" Sazh gasped as he looked up into Hope's hood, and into the young man's eyes. "Thanks a lot kid." Hope didn't say anything as he pulled Sazh up with his left arm.

"No problem old man." Hope pulled him up, and a chocobo chick landed on his shoulder and kewed a thank you. "Your welcome to." Hope gave the bird a curt nod and looked back at the warmech.

It was hoisting the train carts up into the air. To Lightning it looked the machine was being very careful, almost calculating, in how it chucked the carts off the side of the train. It was one, quick, fluid motion, but there was jerk halfway through and the angle of the toss radically changed.

Not that it mattered much. The train carts, and all their passengers, were thrown over the side of the tracks and down to their deaths in the abyss bellow.

"Heads up." The woman warned, raising her gunbalde into a defensive posture.

"This thing doesn't give up." The warmech leapt through the air at them.

"I guess not." Hope gripped Grace's knife in a reverse grip, in his left hand. and stood beside the woman.

"Can you fight?" The woman questioned as the warmech landed with a heavy thud.

"This thing killed my brother." Hope said so quietly that the woman wasn't' sure if he'd spoken at all.

The warmech's tail poised behind its head. It's claws came to life with a loud, electrical, buzzing sound and if it hadn't been a machine then the woman was sure it'd be growling at them.

"Hmph." And with that the woman charged it like a coiled spring.

Her lithe body seemed to float over the ground as she charged the warmech. However her forward charge was halted as the warmechs claw swung at her. The woman rolled to the side and sliced into the claw as it passed her by.

The sharp blade cut through the metal, ripping wires and circuit boards as it went. The claw sparked as the warmech jerked the limb back and whipped its tail around at her.

The woman practically danced around the tail, like water breaking around a rock, and continued towards the head. Her blade flashed through the air like lightning and she gouged another mark into the faceplates heavy metal.

"Look out." Hope shouted as he saw the warmechs tail descending down at the woman, the tip sparking dangerously.

The woman back flipped away. As her body moved through the air, just as she was coming out of her flip, the gunblade flipped down to gun mode. And even before her feet touched the ground she opened fire, bullets spinning through the air and impacting the warmechs damaged eye.

The machine jerked to that side violently as bullets tore through its optics and into the sensitive inner shell of its circuit board brain.

"Wow!" Sazh whistled. "There you go soldier girl."

Soldier Girl hmphed at Sazh, about to say something to him, when Hope ran past her dagger held out to his side in a decidedly inexperienced posture.

_He's going to get himself killed._ The pinkette thought. _He's turning into a hassle…no, an emotional brat._

The woman ran after him. The warmechs injured claw was swung at Hope, but the pinkette covered him. Looking down the sight of her gun she fired three quick shots into the opening in its armor.

The claw sparked and jerked. It hit the ground violently, without control, as fire burst from the gash in its claw.

Soldier Girl quickly changed her aim and fired a round past Hope's head. The bullet, spinning at incredible speed, passed by Hope's hood, fluttering as though a light breeze passed by.

The leaden slug went into the warmechs injured eye at a bad angle. It bounced around inside the machines hardware, causing violent spasms of the machine and sparks to shoot out of the opening.

Hope took this chance to toss the weapon to his right hand and plunge the dagger into the almost invisible seam in the middle of the warmechs face plate.

Soldier Girl could have sworn a bolt of energy passed through Hope's concealed right hand and into the machine. But it was like a flash, if anything had happened it was over to fast for the Woman to know what it was.

The warmech finally seemed to lose it. It's working claw slammed about erratically as its tail rose up above it. The tail slashed at hope, the deadly ligament missing him by mere centimeters and punching another hole in the train.

"Kid get down!" Sazh yelled as his handguns transformed into a rifle.

Hope did as instructed and hit the ground with a roll. He moved just fast enough to avoid a flurry of machine gun rounds. The bullets impacted the tail, sending metal chips in all directions and causing it to swing away from Hope, giving him the chance to run back towards Sazh and the woman.

The warmechs tail rose up behind it as Hope stood next to the woman. Moments later a beam was released. The energy beam shot through the air and the women and Hope hopped to the side, the beam hitting where they had been and sending metal chips airborne and blowing a hole through the train, and train tracks.

"Hah." Sazh said. "You missed…" The warmechs face plate started to open, revealing it's wave cannon. "Wait! That's no reason to get out the big guns now!"

"that's how we can take it out." Soldier Girl states.

The woman rushes at it, gunblade poised by her head for a decisive strike. She would have reached it if the warmechs injured claw hadn't finally rose up and stabbed erratically at her.

The woman easily hopped away from it, and in the line of fire of its other claw.

_Shit!_ The woman closed her eyes, not having the time to dodge.

"Not yet…"

She felt and elbow hit her from the right side, striking a nerve and causing her blade to fumble from her hand. Not that it mattered, she was falling. Soldier Girl expected to feel the slice of claws any second now, but instead she felt an arm wrap around her waist and pull her into a man's chest.

Her eyes opened and she got a glimpse inside Hope's hood. His face was handsome and strong. An air of wisdom carried about his feature… but his eye, she was amazed by his left eye, the one she could see.

It was like looking up at the stars. In its dark green, seemingly infinite depths she could see millions of white lights. It had the same kind of wonderment you get when you look up at the night sky…through a green tinted lens.

His hair covered the right side of his face. It was messy and bushy as it fell around his head and eye down into his robe. But it was also regal, making Hope look like a wise, mysterious, knight in shining armor…

"Take it down." Hope said as he held the gunblade.

As the claw had come at Soldier Girl Hope had rushed towards her. Elbowing her in the arm to slacken the gunblade he had grabbed the weapon with his left hand and stabbed into the claw, between the saws. His right arm, still covered up by the robe, had wrapped around her waist and brought her to his chest, in a way where her head could rest on his shoulder, before she could fall and hurt herself on the train.

But he couldn't stay like this for long. Even striking the mechanical muscle of the warmech he couldn't hold it back forever, already his arm was shaking weakly.

"Roger." Soldier Girl moves fast, heading straight for Sazh.

"Hey now, aren't you attacking that thing!" Sazh raises his hands, not sure what's going on.

"Give me that!" She practically snarls as she rips the last RPG off his back.

The strap snaps harshly on the man's back and the woman turns towards the warmech. In one motion she kneels on one knee, for a more stable firing position, and raises the launcher up to her eye. The lock is instant as the warmechs cannon charges.

Hope glances back at the woman, and seeing she's safe, he hops away from the claw and scrambles towards her.

The woman can see Hope moving her way through the targeting scope. He was directly in the way of the shot, and at a bad time. The wave cannons about to fire…

"Hope, duck!" Soldier Girl yells as she depresses the trigger. The RPG's round bursts from the weapon, it's smoke trail obscuring her sight.

Hope heard her warning a split second before the rocket fired. He slides forwards on his shoulder, the explosive passing within inches of his nose. But it doesn't hit him, and as he slides he turns to watch the round impact the warmech.

The RPG flies into the open face plate and explodes. The warmech shrieks as the beam fires. The white energy beam lanced through the sky, shooting off into eternity, as it fell to the side. The woman could feel the heat of the energy beam as it passes by, harmlessly, over head.

With an explosion the machine finally falls off the side and down bellow, into the darkness and out of sight.

"Uh, oooha." Sazh pants as he sits down. "Oh goodness." And looks towards the woman. "We did it."

"Yeah…" Hope say as he walks to the edge of the train, the woman staring off after him.

"Whoa!" Sazh exclaims as a fighter passes low, almost in touching distance. "Hey!"

The woman scoffs and sheaths her gunblade. Walking towards Hope who's staring down at the abyss bellow.

Sazh can see the slump of his shoulders as he looks down. He wonders what the boys thinking, until he spreads his sleeve covered arms wide and takes a step forward.

Before Sazh can move or say anything the woman was there. She grabbed his left arm and spinning him around forcefully. As Hope's body spins towards her she slaps him, hard. Hope staggers and falls to his side on the train, reaching up to grab his cheek.

"He's dead…" Hope breaths out, Sazh cringes at the hurt tone of his voice.

"Then you should live." She replies, turning away from Hope and looking at the fighters fighting up in the sky.

"Aren't you a soldier?" Hope says, getting up slowly. "Aren't you supposed to protect people?" She doesn't say anything. "Then what are you doing, trying to stop the Purge like this…"

"I was a soldier." She says, walking off. "Your coming with me."

"Wait." Hope grabs her forearm, and almost gets punched as her muscles tighten for combat. "If you want me to come with you, then at least tell me your name." She stares at his hooded head, wondering how he can see through the hood, and then pulls her arm out of his light grasp.

"Lightning." She walks to the edge of the train. "You can call me Lightning." And jumps down to the tracks.

"Lightning…" Sazh says, walking up beside Hope. "Kinda fitting, don't you think?" Hope nods once, Sazh catching the edge of a smile on his lips.

"Yeah, very fitting." And with that Hope jumps after her.

"Hey wait." Sazh calls as Hope and Lightning land, taking a quick glance at each other, and move on. "Man…" Sazh sighs as Chocobo flutters from his hair; landing in Sazh's outstretched hand. "Chocobo, we just can't catch a break can we?"

Chocobo responds with a questioning 'kiwee?' as Sazh starts his climb down the side of the train, not intent on hurting himself with a wild jump.

"Yeah, that's a good question." Sazh agrees. "Well we better follow 'em." Then with a grunt he adds. "Man, I'm getting to old for this…"

* * *

><p><em>"The hanging Edge."<em>

"In here!" A PSICOM soldier shouts as they find the remains of one of the Purge trains, crashed onto a highway. "Check for survivors, leave no one alive.

" _Thirteen days after you awoke, you always told me how that was how the end started."_

"Sir, in here!" A panicked soldier cries. "We have a problem!"

" _But I always wanted to ask, the end of what?"_

The five man squad moves that way, and ducks when their comrade's body is thrown back out onto the highway, a knife impaled through his head.

The soldiers looked to the dark interior of the destroyed train. Bright, pulsing, white lines were seen in the darkness. And an eye, slowly opening. It glew what the soldiers could best describe as a cancerous green, seeming to infect their very souls as the slitted black pupil landed on each of them in turn.

"Wh-what is that!" A soldier cried as he shakily raised his gun, laser light pointing in towards the face.

"L'cie…" The leader said, his visor started filling with information about this mark. "Sanctum L'cie…"

A steel beam was flung from the darkness and pierced the chest of the squad leader. The other soldiers are to shocked for a moment to see the knives spinning their way. Spinning so fast they look more like disks as the cut the soldiers down.

"_Because it wasn't the end of the Cocoon I knew."_

"D-damn…" The squad leader said, clutching at the beam futily as the L'cie casually strolled out of the darkness.

"My name." The L'cie asks as he stops above the soldier. "Say it."

"Y-your." The soldier couches, lungs filling with liquid. "You're the Reaper. Grace, the Soul Reaper…"

"Good." Grace smirks as he pulls the last beam from his chest. "Then I can't let you live after all…"

"_The Cocoon I knew, the one I fought for. It was gone long before you woke. No, your awakening wasn't the end of anything… I think it was the start of something grand..."_

* * *

><p><strong>(AN)**

**Alright, it's been awhile. And this time I was almost dead, blown up to be exact, so I haven't been able to write. So I decided I needed to start posting again, and why not edit my long promised first chapter of my rewrite of final fantasy?**

**I think this is probably one of my best pieces yet so I'm happy to post it. Now I know with Grace I'm adding an OC where it doesn't seem like I need one. But I'm changing the storyline and I need Grace to get it to work. I'll let you draw your own conclusions about him, I don't want to spoil anything but your free to guess if you want.**

**I think everyone but Hope was in the same character you saw in the game. Now on Lightning's part (it was horrible writing about her without using her name!) she seems softer then she should to Hope. But remember she saw his brother die right before Hope's eyes. With her devotion for Serah it was like seeing her worst nightmare come to life. So, at least in my mind, it's reasonable that she wants Hope to live. In the end, where she grabs Hope and slaps him, it was supposed to look like he was about to jump and commit suicide. I think, even someone as detatched as Lightning, might do something like that.**

**But that's just what I think. You're the reader, it's your decision if I did well or not. If you liked I'm glad, means I'm doing something right. If you don't like it, I'm sorry. There are a couple of story's going on that blow this one out of the water so go check them out. We will always be us written by sorachicken and Comme il faut written by Delicatewings are the most recently updated. Then you have That Day's Promise by Saranghayo, Asassinzassasin and haikomori are another couple that have a lot of amazing work out there. If you don't like mine, or if you did like mine and want to see more awesome story's, check these guys out. There's a lot of new story's up, which I haven't gotten to read since I almost got myself blown up, that sound pretty cool.**

**Review if you want to. I love hearing from you guys and if you like it, great tell me what you want to see more of or what I can do better. If you hate it then constructive critism is nice and welcome. If you want to flame it, well that's your right go ahead. Just leave my name alone, you can call my writing whatever you want but my name is my heritage. Respect me, and I'll respect you…**

**Disclaimer: Well unless what you've read sounds exactly like what you played in the game then I don't own it…yet. Square will someday hand over the rights to me, it's only a matter of time now…**

…**man reading back over my AN it sounds so serious… I should say something totally random so ya'll don't think I'm that serious all the time…**

**Actually I need to go to bed… It's a busy day and I actually need to be awake for it…**

**Laters!  
>Chazz.<strong>


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